Hermione's Offer
by The Ghostly Minion
Summary: Alternate. The last battle with Lord Voldemort is imminent. Harry knows that he has little chance of surviving. He speaks to the spirits of James, Lily and Sirius, promising to vanquish Voldemort. But he also tells them of his sole regret. However, Hermione overhears and offers a solution. H/H, NL, LL, MM, Poppy P, LV
1. The Offer

****A/N: This story is in response to Chapter five (**_**A challenge**_**), in the late broomstick flyer's collection, **_**All sorts**_**. A significant amount is taken verbatim from that chapter. Those will be bolded.****

**As always, it is an honor to create my own world in the reality of Harry Potter. What you recognize is JKR's, the rest is mine (and broomstick flyer's).**

Hermione Granger was a very worried witch on a mission. She knew she'd been on a mission ever since 1 September, 1991 when she had barged into a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, asking if anyone had seen a toad and met Harry Potter. Somehow, he had managed not to be put off by her need to show everyone how much she knew and how much she could do with magic. He even didn't seem to mind (too much) her jones for authority figures.

And then on that first Halloween, his concern for her hurt feelings, his bravery in facing a troll to save her (yes, she knew Ron had been there too, but only because Harry had made him) had captured her heart and soul. She knew now that was the point she had fallen totally and forever in love with him. It took a couple of years for her to realize her feelings. It took longer for her to decide how to react to them and how to relate to Harry.

By then she knew enough and had experienced enough to know what being with Harry meant it meant that you had to support him on his mission a mission that he'd never volunteered for, one forced on him by a madman wizard who called himself Voldemort. She knew that to tell him her feelings would only place another burden upon him, one she'd never be selfish enough to give him. She'd resolved to only tell him when it was all over and free to live a real life. She only hoped he'd return her feelings—she thought he did, but couldn't be sure, couldn't dare hope.

Then came this year. The weight of the world came crashing down on Harry. To find the horcruxes and destroy them, all without enough knowledge, enough training, enough support. Really, how could Dumbledore ever expect Harry to do this with only the help of two others? And two who really knew hardly more than he, even less in many respects. And then having one turn out to be a broken reed. Ron's desertion hit them hard, almost too hard. They were so shocked that they didn't think about Obliviating him until it was too late. Thankfully, he hadn't been captured and hadn't spilled all their secrets.

They had been far more lucky than any two people could hope to have been. That fiasco in Godric's Hollow. Nagini should have killed them, but they managed to hit her with the Killing Curse (destroying the horcrux) and escape Voldemort too. Then for them to have found the Sword of Gryffindor and destroy the soul shard in the locket.

They figured out that if there had been a horcrux entrusted to one Death Eater, there might be others. It had been hellishly hard, but they had gotten into Gringotts and found the Goblin Nation held no truck with such objects. They had been ferociously happy to search all the vaults of Death Eaters and found the Cup of Hufflepuff in the Lestrange vault. They also obliterated any other dark object in any of those Death Eater vaults, confiscated all their wealth, keeping one third for themselves, holding one third for the Ministry for when Voldemort was defeated and one third added to Harry's vaults for a finder's fee.

Now they knew that five horcruxes were accounted for. The diary, the ring, the locket, Nagini, the cup. That meant that only one was left, then Voldemort would be mortal!

Her Harry had a brainstorm. He remembered the tiara they'd seen in the version of the Room of Requirement in which they'd discarded the Half Blood Prince's book. He realized that could be the last Horcrux. The Goblins were quick to gift them with a reusable portkey to take them inside Hogwarts' seventh floor and back out, it need be.

When they arrived in the castle, under the cloak, they found Snape confronting Neville Longbottom. Simultaneous stunning spells put him under, then they tied him up. A quick talk with their friend and he opened the Room of Requirement for them. They had a joyful reunion with their friends in the Resistance. They explained they needed to find the diadem and to everyone's amazement a new door opened at Harry's command. He found the diadem, and finished it with the Sword.

"OK, listen up. It's only 2:45 in the morning. We have the advantage. We can take the castle. Who's with me?" The whoops of mixed joy and anger were all the answer Harry needed. "Then we plan. How many Death Eaters are still in the castle?"

Happily, the only Death Eaters besides Snape in Hogwarts were the Carrows. "Very well. We have students from all four houses here. First, we need to get the heads of house alerted. Daphne, Tracey, Blaise, Astoria, I'm glad to see the Slytherin opposition! Your job is to rouse Professor Slughorn. We're going to need him to get us some Veritaserum and any other potions he thinks would be useful.

"Susan, Hannah, Ernie, Zach, you get Professor Sprout up and moving. Cho, Marietta, Luna, Terry, do the same for Professor Flitwick. Me, Hermione, Neville and Ginny will get Professor McGonagall and we'll take Snape with us. Any of the rest of you know where the entrance to the Slytherin house is? Great, I want six of you to watch that entrance. Anyone who tries to leave, stun them into next year.

"The rest of you, go to the entrance to the rest of the common rooms, watch them and handle anyone who tries to leave. All groups, watch your backs, particularly for Filch and Mrs. Norris. Stun them and restrain them. Keep to the task until you are relieved or given a new assignment by me, Hermione, Neville or a professor. Hermione, have I missed anything?"

Hermione needed barely a moment's worth of thought. Her heart swelled with pride and love for her Harry, for his insight and leadership. "You've covered it all, I think. One thing to emphasize. None of our lives are expendable. Make sure that if you have to, you put them down for the count."

"OK, its 3:00 am. Let's go. And hey, hey, hey, let's be careful out there!" Harry warned, then led them out into the castle.

—**HO—**

The plan went like clockwork. By 4:00 am, the entire castle was secured. Hermione was over the moon with joy. There would still be a fight, but they had the edge now; anyone could kill Voldemort! Neville told them of the connection between the Room of Requirement and the Hog's Head tavern in Hogsmeade. Resistance members staffed the room, Neville alerted Aberforth and a Patronus message to the twins started them to alert an army to head to the castle for the final battle. Then, it all went pear-shaped.

One or another of them had restunned Snape each time he began to revive. After they could be spared, McGonagall led Harry, Hermione and Snape to the Headmaster's office. Professor Slughorn had given Minerva a phial of Veritaserum and they intended to get some answers out of Dumbledore's murderer.

They rebound Snape to the chair behind the desk and rennervated him. "Well, 'Professor', it seems your term as headmaster is over. We need answers."

Snape sneered at the three. "What are you going to do, Potter? Torture me? Kill me? Face it, you don't have it in you to do that."

"I'm not a DeathEater. Torture and killing aren't my first choice. But, this is a war, and I will do what I must to protect my friends and the innocent. I've killed once in self-defense and I need to kill 'V' to finish this. But I'm not like you, DeathEater. I don't like the feeling of blood on my hands. I don't like the idea of torture. I'll do what I must, but unlike you, I won't revel in it."

"Harry, there is no need for any of that," came a new voice. The three looked at the portrait of Albus Dumbledore in shock. "Severus, it is time for Harry to know everything. Harry, you know where my pensieve is. Severus has memories you, Miss Granger and Minerva must see, to understand what has happened and to know what you must do."

Harry retrieved the pensieve and placed it on the desk. "I trust you, headmaster, but not him. Severus Snape, you will now swear on your life and magic that you will give us the memories the headmaster has asked of you, complete and untampered."

"Trust me, do you Potter?"

"Just as far as you trusted my father."

Snape bowed at the riposte. "I, Severus Snape swear on my life and magic, that the memories I am about to give to Harry James Potter are complete and untampered. As I have said, so mote it be!"

After the flash of light, indicating that the oath had been accepted by magic, Harry drew forth the memories and after stunning Snape again, the three dipped into the pensieve.

They emerged from the pensieve shocked and blown out of the water. Hermione couldn't stop her tears, no matter how tightly an ashen-faced Harry held her. McGonagall stood, white as a sheet. Finally, Hermione's tears subsided. Harry faced the portrait. "Headmaster, your addiction to keeping secrets means there is no way I can live through this. Maybe, had I known, the goblins might have found a way, but we won't know, not now. So, I'll die, hoping someone else will get lucky and finish him. Better hope we don't meet in the 'next great adventure', for I'll try my best to kill the dead. I think my parents and Sirius will help too."

Harry revived Snape and forced some Draught of Living Death down his throat. Then they left the office, with Snape still trussed up. When they reached the Great Hall, Harry spoke to Professor McGonagall. "Headmistress, I know it is still very early, but you should have the elves prepare breakfast and the heads of house bring down the students. Every underage student must be evacuated and any student of age who does not want to fight as well. Any student with Deathater connections though, must be locked in the dungeons. This is iffy enough without the enemy getting early word."

"As you say, Harry. As you say." Minerva left. Harry and Hermione found themselves at the Gryffindor table, embracing, trying to keep the sobs at bay.

—**HO—**

Harry looked at his best friend, his mind awhirl. Their eyes locked upon each other, green looking into brown and back again. Both of them caught up in their thoughts, both wanting to expose their hearts, both thinking there wasn't ever going to be a 'right time'. Harry's whisper was hoarse, rough, yet tender. "Hermione, I want you to know that I've been blessed these seven years by your friendship. Without you, my story would have ended a long time ago. All I regret is that our friendship ends far too soon. Thank you, dearest and best of friends."

Somehow, Hermione managed to hold herself of a single, dry sob. "Harry, it's me who's been blessed. Being your friend is more than this bushy-haired know-it-all has ever deserved. Whatever happens, you will live in my memories, ever green, so long as I live."

They just hugged all the tighter. As time passed, the hall filled with students, teachers, and the assembling fighters. Soon the table filled with food and they sat. "I never thought I'd ever eat another meal at this table again, did you?" Hermione shook her head but once, but it was enough for an oration. Neither could voice their thought. _The condemned should eat a hearty last meal._

Harry finished, kissed the top of Hermione's head and stood to a thunderous ovation. He held up his hand and the tumult stilled. "This is not the end. This is the beginning." Beckoning to Neville, he left the Great Hall. They walked up to the Gryffindor portrait. He turned to the god-brother he'd not known he had until that Christmas in their fifth year. "Nev, do me a favor, will you? Keep everyone out of the Common Room for me? I need to think a while." Neville, nodded, they shared a brotherly hug. Then, the portrait opened without a password and Harry went in.

—**HO—**

And so, Hermione was a very worried witch on a mission. She'd waited until 9:45 am for Harry's return and now sought him out. All the other plans were in action, none needed her. But her Harry needed her; more, she needed him. She knew where he must be. She saw Neville guarding the entry to Gryffindor and smiled. _Of course and who else but Neville, so brave and loyal?_ He saw her and moved to block her.

'I'm sorry Hermione, but..."

"Harry asked you to keep others out. I understand, but I have things to tell Harry. He doesn't know it, but he has things to say to me also. Please let me through, don't tell him. Please."

Neville took no more than an instant of thought and stepped away. She stepped to the portrait. "Please open, but silently." A tear fell from the Fat Lady's cheek; she nodded and the door opened without sound. She slipped in noiselessly, saw Harry sitting on 'their' loveseat, then sat on a chair nearby.

**Harry Potter was sitting quietly in the common room... Tomorrow was to be the day. Harry knew it in his bones. Tomorrow he would have to finally face Voldemort for the last time. He could not put it off; this war needed to end because there had been far too many lives lost already. He knew there was little chance of him surviving the encounter; that was the only reason he had never told Hermione how he felt about her.**

**Resigned to the facts as he saw them Harry looked around the room; thinking he was alone he began very quietly talking out loud. "Mum, Dad, **Sirius too,** I don't know if you can hear me, I don't think it will be much longer before we are together, maybe tomorrow or the day after at the latest. **'V' **(Voldemort) is coming to try and kill me, I'm sorry that the Potter **and Black** line**s** will end dad, ****Sirius****. I'll be the last one. I hope you can forgive me for that, but I'll be taking him with me when I die, I promise **all of** you that."**

**Harry then fell silent as he stared into the fire and wondered if his dead parents **and god father** could hear him. Then he heard a slight rustling from behind him, turning around he saw his best friend Hermione sit up in the armchair behind his. She stood up and walked around to him with a rather sad smile on her face. She knew as well as he did that he had little chance of surviving.**

**Standing right in front of him Hermione leaned forward and took his face in her hands, as she cupped his cheeks he could not believe what she said.**

**"Harry, I couldn't help over hearing what you said to your mum, dad **and Sirius**; I'd like to help keep the Potter **and Black** line**s** alive for you if you'll have me. If I can't have you, if I can't be with you… if you… if you don't survive… I would be honoured to have your child.**

"**I'll have a baby for you Harry if you think you could like me enough to make me pregnant. I'm about at my most fertile right about now; I can also get a male fertility potion to make sure we have a boy, I'll get it from Madam Pomfrey. So **today** would be a good **day** to get me pregnant and we have all night to make sure it works." Hermione held on to him looking directly into his eyes letting him know she meant every word she said, "Please Harry, make love to me, make me pregnant, let me have your child and fulfill at least one of my dreams, please."**

**—HO—**

Harry looked at her, stunned. _Am I hallucinating? Did she just say what I thought I heard? Or have I gone around the twist, I've loved her for so long..._ "Hermione, did I really hear you rightly? I know you are the kindest person I've ever met, the smartest, bravest and most loyal, but I can't, not if it isn't for the right reasons; I'd rather die the last of my lines than that."

"Harry, dear man, can't you guess my other dreams? I've dreamt of being your wife and having your children for so long. Do you believe in love at first sight? That is what happened to me, even though it took me three years to understand what my feelings were. I was going to tell you in our fourth year, then the Triwizard happened and 'V's' revival. I felt I couldn't tell you, not until the war was over. But now, I need to seize what we can. Please make a baby with me, make me a mother."

Hermione was confused when Harry stated laughing. "A fine pair of Gryffindor lions we make! I've been in love with you since our fourth year. I was so upset I couldn't take you to the ball, I didn't understand until I saw you with Krum. I knew then I could never abide your being with anyone other than me. But with the tournament, I felt I had to wait. And then the third task. After that, I knew I couldn't be so cruel as to tell you until 'V' was gone. So darling Hermione, yes I will fulfill both your dreams. We'll marry today, I hope in the hour. Tonight will be our wedding night and then, what happens afterwards happens. If there is a chance in a thousand thousand to survive, I'll take it. I wish to rear the child we conceive, and hopefully his or her siblings." Harry found a Galleon in his cloak and transfigured it into a lovely engagement ring. Harry knelt. "Darling, wonderful Hermione Jane Granger, will you marry me, take my name and houses, bear and rear all the children fate gives us?"

Hermione's "YES" might have been heard in Hogsmeade. After Harry placed the ring on her finger, she drew him into their first kiss, a kiss sealing their feelings, love's first kiss.

When they came up for air, they smiled dazzlingly at one another. They exited the common room and past a gobsmacked Neville. Harry turned and shouted, "Come with us, Nev! We've a wedding to perform, and you'll be best man!"

**A/N: First, a big shout out to my Beta, texan-muggle. Betas keep me on the straight and narrow, bless them all. Any goofs are on my dime. At this point, it seems as if we've finally sorted out all the revision problems.**

**Did any catch my use of Sgt. Phil Esterhaus' iconic catchphrase from ****_Hill Street Blues_****?**

**The story recommendation for this chapter is Hermione's Offer** **by pakrat77 (id: 5379322). To my knowledge and broomstick flyer's, this is the only other story to take up the challenge. If anyone has run across another, let me know.**

**I've made a few minor edits to the challenge, removed a sentence (note the ellipses), I also added a word or three, which are in plain type.**

**In case anyone wonders, I assume for the story that the taboo on 'Voldemort' is still operative, therefore the circumlocutions. Harry wants the end to come on his terms, not on anyone else's.**

**I had intended to publish after I had finished the 4-5 chapters. but then, I learned of the sad passing on of the wonderful broomstick rider on the 22nd. I decided to publish this immediately, and hope this effort will be accepted as the tribute it is now intended to be. ****I hope that my admittedly inadequate attempt at channeling her stle will meet with some approval.**

**Once more, thanks to all of you who read my efforts. Visitors, hits, reviews, follows, favorites, C2s are my only payment. Believe me, they make me feel rich!**

**The Ghostly Minion****, in mourning**

**Posted: 03/24/2015  
Words: 3,4****52**


	2. Marriage and Consumation

**A/N: This story is in response to Chapter five (**_**A challenge**_**),**** in the late broomstick flyer's collection, **_**All sorts**_**. **

**As always, it is an honor to create my own world in the reality of Harry Potter. What you recognize is JKR's, the rest is mine (and broomstick flyer's).**

Once Hermione, Harry and Neville reached the second floor, their paths diverged. Hermione went towards the Hospital Wing and Madam Pomfrey, while Harry and Neville sought Professor McGonagall in the Great Hall.

Hermione sped to the Hospital Wing to find Madam Pomfrey outfitting the infirmary for the inevitable casualties. There were several others in Healer's garb, assisting. Obviously, more than fighters had joined the defenders. She felt grateful for that mercy and that it made it simpler to speak to the mediwitch in private.

"Madam Pomfrey, please I need a word in private".

The nurse looked at her and noted the odd mixture of strain and elation on her face. Knowing the others could carry on without her, she gestured and led the young witch into her office. "Miss Granger, what can I do for you? You look distraught. Is something the matter with Mr. Potter?"

"It concerns Harry, yes, but I have to ask you to keep most of what I have to say confidential." Hermione continued after a confirming nod. "Harry has to fight 'V' and we learned this morning that he is not likely to be alive at the end of the fight." Waving off Pomfrey's exclamation of dismay, she continued. "He vows he'll take him down and you know Harry wouldn't lie about that. I found Harry talking out loud to the memories of his parents and Sirius. He asked them to forgive him for not having an heir, for dying the last Potter and Black. I love him, Poppy, for what seems my entire life and I offered to give birth to an heir for his houses. You know him, he wouldn't do that just to do it, it had to be with someone whom he loved and loves him. I told him I did love him and he finally admitted he loves me too. We are going to be wed, in the hour and I need your help. I need an antidote for the contraception potion and a fertility potion, one to ensure a male baby, if possible, I'm at my most fertile time anyway. We'll consummate our marriage until it's time for battle and we need to make it count."

Poppy looked in amazement. Then a smile grew on her face. "Hermione, the staff have known of your feelings, yours and Harry's for a very long time and I'm glad you two now know too, though I wish the timing could be better. I will fix up a kit with instructions for you both. Everything will be there to ensure you carry your futures. Florence", and a medical house elf popped in "I am preparing a kit for Mr. and Mrs. Potter. When the headmistress opens a marriage suite for them, please put the kit in there." She turned to Hermione. "Go now child and get ready for your fiancé. I'll be down shortly to attend and lend my best wishes for both of you." Hermione hugged the healer and exited.

When she reentered the clinic proper, she saw two of the people she would have sought out. She beckoned the two witches over. "I am so glad to find you here. Harry and I are marrying, soon, in the hour. We love each other and we wish to ensure that the houses of Potter and Black continue. You're both Purebloods, you understand why family is important but we know that that ideology means nothing to you. Luna, you fought with us at the Department of Mysteries, will you stand by me as Maid of Honor? And you Daphne, will you be a bridesmaid? I'm asking someone from each house, Harry and I want to forget everything else except our common cause."

Luna Lovegood smiled a decidedly undreamy smile, pleased that her friendship and devotion to Harry and Hermione were rewarded. "I am honored, Hermione, though you might be a bit too assuming about my virtue." Her tinkling laughter filled the room at Hermione's startled expression. "I'm just winding you up, and no, this is the real me that I only show to my friends."

Daphne Greengrass snorted in amusement. She'd always respected the brilliant Gryffindor, house divisions be cursed. Still, the sense of humor she kept to herself couldn't be but tickled at Hermione being pranked and by Luna of all people. "I am also honored. I understand the house concerns and I cede you both the laurels for thinking of this at this time, but I'm sure your love is the real reason, isn't it?" Hermione's nod told her all. "Let's go then, I am proud to stand by the friends I could not acknowledge for so long."

**-HO-**

Meanwhile, Harry and Neville soon entered the Great Hall. "Neville, I'll talk to the headmistress. Would you find Blaise, Ernie and Micheal and make sure they're here so I can ask them to be groomsmen?" Neville gave a deep nod, almost a bow and set off.

After a minute's search Harry found McGonagall giving out orders to the defenders. Catching her eye, she could tell he needed to talk. She gestured to Professor Flitwick, who took over marshaling the combatants. Minerva and Harry ducked into the antechamber in which Harry last stood as an unwilling TriWizard champion, a relative eon ago.

"Mr. Potter—no, Harry, what is it?" It didn't escape her notice that Harry was sending out mixed signals.

"Headmistress, Prof-no, Minerva. You already know about my long-term prospects and the rest of the castle doesn't need to know, not yet. But I was up in the Common Room, just talking out loud to my mum and dad and Sirius, like they were there and could hear me. I apologized to them, apologized that even though I'd be sure to kill 'V' I knew I'd die too and I'd be the end of House Potter and House Black. I hadn't heard Hermione come into the room. She told me she wished to bear an heir to Potter and Black that she was at her most fertile time and would get the right potions to ensure a male baby. She told me she loved me and wanted to marry me and be our child's, maybe even children's, mother. I've loved her since our fourth year we two 'brave' Lions finally confessed our feelings. We want the ceremony as soon as can be. Will you marry us? Get us Married Quarters?"

Minerva surprised him by giving him and big hug and a kiss on his forehead. "I am thrilled you two finally confessed to each other! You're my most favorite students since your parents and I love you both. Of course I'll marry you. I'll arrange for quarters and get the hall set up. You and Hermione gather the wedding parties and leave the rest to us."

**-HO-**

When Harry reentered the hall, he spotted Neville and the other three whom he wished to speak to. He walked over to them, saying "Blaise, Ernie, Michael; if Neville didn't tell you, I am marrying Hermione as soon as things are set here. I hope you will be my groomsmen, Neville will be best man. Will you help me?" A chorus of 'yes' from the three left Harry beaming. "Great, I see the hall is being prepared." Taking another two Galleons from his pocket, Harry transfigured them into wedding bands, a napkin into a velvet cushion. Handing the rings and cushion to Neville, he looked around the hall. Spotting a regiment of redheads, he headed in the Weasleys' direction.

When he reached them, he held up his hand forestalling the response his appearance reflexively received but for which he had no time or stomach. "I'm usually glad to see you all, but time is short and I have much to tell you so please put up with me. Ron I'm sad to say you have no place here this is going to be a battleground and a killing field. Neither I or Hermione now trust you even as far as we can throw the castle your desertion of us on the hunt ended our friendship forever you selfish sod if you got caught 'V' would have won. We followed through no thanks to you but you're not going to waltz in here to bollocks up the final battle or claim credit you don't deserve." Harry saw his former friend's ears turn scarlet and raised his voice. "Shut your mouth and keep it shut we've no **time** for your baby tantrums! I will have to go out, fight and kill him and more than likely die doing it so shut it! In a few minutes Hermione and I are to wed we love each other and she and I will conceive a child to carry the names Potter and Black" Harry had to skewer Ginny with a cold, hard stare "and none of your 'but I'm your girlfriend' dung from you either Ginny! We broke up, I love Hermione not you accept it or leave I don't care which. Mr. Weasley I look to you to keep your family in line they will **NOT** ruin the last bit of happiness I may ever have. I've said my piece, stay, go, but don't get in the way!"

The 'adopted' family stared at him in shock, even Molly couldn't find anything coherent to say. Suddenly, he was hugged near to death by Fleur, his one-time competitor and now friend. "'Arry, I am so pleased you and 'Ermione are together. I knew you should but was désolé to think that you and she might never find your feelings. My present to you and her is to cast glamors so you and your attendants look as you should for your wedding."

Harry hugged her back and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, our dear friend. On Hermione's behalf, we accept. Mr. Weasley," turning his attention to the family patriarch "I'm sorry to have put you on the spot, but there was no time for diplomacy."

Arthur nodded. "Harry, I understand and I tell you on my Weasley honor that there will be no disruptions from us and that House Weasley stands with yours, today, in battle, in peace. Take Fleur and do as you need." After a brief emotion-filled hug with the only father figure he'd known, Harry and Fleur looked to see where Hermione might be.

They found her at the back of the hall, along with four young women and Remus Lupin. Motioning to Neville and his groomsmen, Harry reached his fiancée, hugged her and settled a gentle, love-filled kiss upon her lips. "Love, the next time I kiss you you will be Mrs. Hermione Jane Granger Potter." He could go no further seeing the adoration glow in her eyes. Wrenching his gaze from her with an effort he looked at the others. "Thank you all for helping us. Fleur will place glamors on us so we look like a wedding."

Fleur then waved her wand and Harry looked clean shaven and resplendent in dress robes of emerald green trimmed in Gryffindor red. "Now alliez 'Arry to the front and await your bride—no peeking!"

**-HO-**

Harry gladly obeyed. Professor McGonagall cast a Sonorus charm and called to the castle, "Your attention, all who are not on sentry duty please come and sit in the Great Hall now." Since the preparations had escaped nobody's notice, the table seats swiftly filled. Harry then noticed that in front of the Head table was a second, half-sized table, festively set in all the house colors. He smiled to himself and then stiffened as a traditional wedding march played.

Still keeping his eyes to the front, he saw Neville in gold robes trimmed with emerald escort Luna, wearing Ravenclaw blue. A moment later saw Daphne Greengrass in her house's shade of green robes on the arm of Michael Corner wearing Ravenclaw bronze with emerald trim. Then Blaise Zabini in silver trimmed in emerald and Susan Bones in Hufflepuff blue. Finally Katie Bell in Gryffindor red took her place accompanied by Ernie MacMillan in Hufflepuff yellow and emerald.

Then Harry's heart stopped. On Lupin's arm was his Hermione. She wore a gown in bone, full length, shoulder-less and tight on top, flaring out modestly below the waist. There was no train, but a full veil. Upon her head a diadem of silver and emeralds, a necklace of emeralds at her throat and emeralds in her ears. When Remus handed him her arm, his heart lurched back into rhythm. Their eyes locked.

Harry's world shrank to encompass only those magic brown eyes. Somehow, he still kept track of Minerva's recitation of the marriage ceremony and when she asked if he wished to say his own vows, he nodded, his eyes ever drowning in hers.

"Hermione Jane Granger, since our first day at Hogwarts we've been a part of each other's lives. As a friend, best friend, supporter, guide, teacher, partner in trials and battles, you finally came to mean the world to me as a woman, my beloved. I will spend whatever time we have as your strength and companion, as you are my strength, my heart's companion, my soul's mate. This ring to me means all these things and those things that crowd my heart that I haven't the words to say." As he placed the ring on her finger, his magic escaped and an emerald green aura surrounded them both and then faded.

Hermione's smile shone like the sun and her eyes entered his innermost being. "Harry James Potter, I fell in love the moment we met. That it took this long to share my feelings shows even know-it-alls aren't infallible! I have never known a more humble, kind, decent, giving and loving man and I shall never find even a pale copy in anyone else. I will never have another and all the time we may have shall be more precious than any gem, purer than any gold. You are my soul's mate and together we will be one and pass our name down to futures yet unimagined. My being is too full of my love and joy for proper expression. This ring shall speak those things to you, now and as long as our hearts beat." As she slipped the golden band onto his finger, her aura, pure gold permeated them, lingered and entered them.

For a moment, none could speak then Minerva found her voice. "As a licensed marriage bonder, I declare this man and woman married, in the sight of magic and of the law. You may kiss your bride."

Harry gently lifted the veil from Hermione's face, cupped her cheek then embraced her waist. As her arms encircled his neck their lips met in a kiss that swiftly deepened. To them the kiss lasted an eternity, but only really endured until the edge of that cusp between perfect and uncomfortable was reached.

After a brief but filling luncheon, Neville raised his glass and gained the attention of the company. "I will be brief, my two best friends should be our focus after all. I will claim the distinction of having introduced Hermione to Harry through my toad Trevor, or should I say Yenta?" Laughter. "Anyway, it has been my great good fortune to watch and know them as we grew up and I'm proud to call them my best friends in the world. Now, let us drink to their joy and happiness. I give you Hermione and Harry Potter, the bride and groom!"

**-HO-**

Harry and Hermione found no trouble reaching their bridal suite, it was as if the castle itself guided them. Once there, Harry scooped a giggling Hermione up and across the threshold. Inside, their robes again appeared as they had that morning. First, they stopped at the table on which the 'bridal kit' had been placed. Carefully reading the instructions, they toasted each other and drank the mixes, in the order prescribed, two for Harry and four for Hermione. Since they needed a few minutes to let the potions settle, they took a quick look at the quarters. They found a deluxe bath, with toiletries for each and a pair of bath robes bearing the Hogwarts crest.

Hermione showered first, then Harry. Back at the bed, they stood, kissing, sweetly at first then more and more heatedly. Soon Harry undid her sash and her robe pooled at her feet. His eyes drank in her beauty. When his hands began to explore her in earnest, she moaned and divested him of his robe. Her hands began to mirror his and they then found their way onto the bed.

His hand and lips worshiped her torso, then his attention dropped to her gateway. His explorations aided by her guidance soon led to the first release she had had by another's digits. Lovingly, she touched and explored his member until he gasped. Then positioning him over her, between her legs, she guided him inside and they became lovers. A seeming era of bliss later, they truly became married. After a time they bestirred themselves from the afterglow.

"Sweetheart, are you in pain?"

"No love, the potions prepared me and deadened any pain. I love magic and you. Again?"

Throughout that afternoon they coupled, separated and resumed. They lost track, but it didn't matter. Each encounter was different and in its own way, thrilling. Soft or rough, quick or languid, they shared new sides of themselves to their partner. Both were enthralled. Both hoped that it would be the first of many such days in their lives, but they engraved it indelibly onto their memories to keep.

Finally, their physical hunger overcame their passion and a dinner appeared on the table. They ate and washed the meal down with the last stamina and fertility potions. Returning to bed, they shared themselves again for a timeless interval, until their bodies claimed their due and still entwined, they visited the land of dreams.

**A/N: First, a big shout out to my Beta, texan-muggle. Betas keep me on the straight and narrow, bless them all. Any goofs are on my dime. **

**I hope my efforts here will meet with your approval. I'm trying not just to honor broomstick by accepting her challenge, but to write it also in as close to her writing fashion as my own limitations as a writer allow. So, if you noticed the run on sentences and paragraphs, they're part of the tribute!**

**A couple other notes. Though it' pure broomstick, I can't describe Harry as magic's answer to John C. Holmes. Also, I don't really do the whole 'soul bond' trope. So when Harry and Hermione speak of the other as their 'soul's mate', this ismply says they're very very deeply in love.**

**T****he story recommendation for this chapter is **_**Hermione's Offer**_ **by Proffessor Albus Martin (****id: 5499685 ). Thanks to my staff helper, EJ Daniels who found this and added to my C2.**

**Once more, thanks to all of you who read my efforts. Visitors, hits, reviews, follows, favorites, C2s are my only payment. Believe me, they make me feel rich!**

**The Ghostly Minion, in mourning**

**Posted: 05/05/2015  
****Words: 3,****246**


	3. Battle and Aftermath 1

**A/N: This story is in response to Chapter five (**_**A challenge**_**), in the late broomstick flyer's collection, **_**All sorts**_**. **

**As always, it is an honor to create my own world in the reality of Harry Potter. What you recognize is JKR's, the rest is mine (and broomstick flyer's).**

The next morning, the two newlyweds found themselves in a tangle of limbs. Each noticed that they still felt the afterglow from the day before. Harry looked at Hermione and his look spoke so clearly of his love for her that the bushy-haired witch shivered with delight.

"Good morning, Mrs. Potter-Black, did you sleep well?"

'Mrs. Potter-Black' was thrilled; she thought she'd never cease wanting to hear people call her by that name, especially from her husband, who made her feel so alive, wanted and loved. "Why, my husband, I did sleep well and I hope you did too, but I admit that I also feel a bit sad also."

He looked at her perplexedly. "Why is that, my love? And yes, I slept well too."

She smiled impishly. "We might have needed the sleep, but it cut into our baby-making time!"

Harry's answering smile started loving, but morphed into a lustful smirk, while his reaction made his agreement with his wife abundantly clear. "Sure and there is that, dearest, however it's only," and here he cast a Tempus charm, "5:30 so we have plenty of time before breakfast. Shall we work up an appetite?" A sexy wink told her he had little doubt about her response.

For Hermione, actions spoke much louder than words so straddling his hips, she eased herself down, enveloping his hardness and began to bounce...

After an energetic time, during which they found release twice, she collapsed upon her husband, her arms finding their way around his neck. A pair of strong and loving arms gripping her back gave her such a sense of security that she felt that his holding her was almost but not quite as good as their previous activity.

Not long after, Harry rolled them over in the bed. "Time for me to do the work, Hermione."

After a time, during which they somehow reached the heights yet another two times, they stopped, sated. They looked at each other, having one of their wordless conversations. They wondered how they had become so insatiable, concluding that it was their hormones, and the realization that these first times might well be their only times.

Harry called for Dobby and ordered large breakfasts for each of them. Robing themselves, they had just seated themselves at the table when Dobby reappeared, with two large full breakfasts. Both were ravenous, and for a good ten minutes, they did their best to get outside of their filled plates. Only as they finished cleaning their plates did they start to talk again.

"Love, I want to start every single morning like this, so you'd better come back to me!"

"It will not be for lack of trying but, if not, we'll always have Hogwarts."

Despite the situation, Hermione couldn't stifle a giggle. "OK, Blaine! You just better use that letter of transit and be on the next plane out!"

Hermione smiled when heard his full, amused laugh. _Good. If any day needs Harry to find humor, today is it._ "Lund, this could be the continuation of a beautiful friendship. I'll be on the next flight out and I'll hold you and kiss you, if I've anything to say about it!"

Smiling at each other, they rose from the table and headed for the shower. When the water was ready and they began to wash one another, the two lovers found they had to unite yet one more time. When Hermione locked her legs around him and settled him inside herself, Harry made sweet, gentle love to her. After one final, earthshaking climax, they slowly separated. As Harry finished washing his wife and shampooing her hair, and she returned the favor, she began to shake. After they dried off, she clung to him fiercely.

"Harry tell me this wasn't our last time. Please love tell me you'll come back to me and this was the just the night we shook hands?"

Catching her in his arms, Harry kissed her thoroughly. "My own lovely wonderful bookworm. If it can be done, you'll be in my arms later today and you'll introduce me to your parents as your husband. And do you know the two reasons why I'll come back to you?" When she shook her head, he grinned at her. "First, because I wish to be with you and rear a big family. But secondly, so that when I read _Hogwarts: A History_, you can explain the parts I don't understand!"

Hermione stared at him a moment, then tickled him, unmercifully, until he surrendered. Then consumed with laughter, she told him, "You prat! I'm gonna hold you to that promise and you better believe you're starting that book tomorrow!"

They then dressed, Hermione in the nicest clothes she had left and Harry in the slightly loose, but very functional 'battle clothing' he'd learned to favor during the hunt. Then he called Dobby and repeated the instructions he and Hermione had agreed to. Dobby was to take her to her parents, then stay and help her as she returned their memories and explained the situation and help with their home.

Instructions over, he took her into his arms, hoping this was not the last time and kissed her, a kiss not filled with passion, but filled with all the love he had for this wild-haired woman who'd gone from best friend and companion in strife to the beloved wife who he couldn't imagine not having by him as long as his heart beat. "Precious love, that is just a down payment for the rest of our lives."

She was almost too choked for words, but held him tighter than she'd ever had before, then said to him, "I'm holding you to that, Potter-Black, you better come back to me in one piece, or else!"

Chuckling, Harry briefly kissed her again, then let go and Dobby took her hand and popped away. He made sure he had all his battle kit, then went to the Great Hall. It was 9:15.

**-HO-**

Harry made his way down to the Great Hall in a somber and thoughtful mood. _She only left a couple minutes ago, and already I miss her like crazy, as if I've lost a limb. No wonder I suppose, this is the first time we've been apart since I got to the Burrow last July almost an entire school year ago, so no wonder I'm not breathing right I miss her scent._ As he entered the Great Hall he was heartened to see all the fighters and the large percentage of of-age classmates assembled, but not happy at seeing Ron in amongst his family. _Might as well get this sorted out first._

He approached the family that had quasi-adopted him and Hermione. "Good morning Weasleys. Before we get any farther, I thought I'd been clear yesterday that Ron had no place here, at this battle, but I seem to have not been emphatic enough, Ron can't be here, I don't trust him at my back."

"But Harry dear, we talked to Ron last night. He tells us it was only a misunderstanding among friends and should be mended. Can't you two just shake hands and make up?"

Harry sighed and looked at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and Ron's brothers. "It's more than that. Ron was ready to attack me, I was ready to fight back and we would have then and there in the tent had Hermione not cast Protego, stopping us. Ron then asked her if she was going with him and when she said she was staying with me, he attacked her, saying she chose me. Well that was true, she did and you saw the end result last night; if you won't take my word for it, we'll get the Headmaster's Pensieve and you can see my memory of his desertion and his side, if he's got the sand to allow you to."

The Weasleys looked at each other for a few minutes, before Arthur looked at Ron and quietly asked him, "Ron is what Harry's just told us the truth?" Ron was mute, but the flush that turned his entire face scarlet was eloquent, and told the whole story to his family. Arthur looked at Harry and gave a combination groan and sigh. "Harry, we believe you. What can be done?"

"Mr. Weasley, as much as I wish I didn't have to, I'm going to confine Ron to the Burrow until the battle is over. Kreacher." When the elf popped in, Harry gave him instructions. "Please take Ron to the Burrow and seal him in. Anti-apparition wards, seal the Floo and all doors and windows. Release them only when the battle is done." After the elf took Ron, Harry turned again to the Weasleys. "Ginny, where do you stand? Can I trust you, or do you need to join Ron?"

She stared at him for a long moment. "Harry, I won't lie to you, when you married Hermione I was crushed; I've wanted to be Mrs. Harry Potter for so long. But last night I found that I loved you enough to be glad that the two of you are happy. So, I'll be proud to fight with you and do what is in my power to represent Hermione in what's to come."

He couldn't reply for a moment, he was too surprised and moved. Then he stepped forward and gave Ginny his best impression of a 'Hermione hug'. "I'm honored to have you with us and I know you'll do me and Hermione proud. Thank you. Please, all of you, just stay here for now. There's more to prepare before we invite Tom in."

**-HO-**

He went up to Professor McGonagall and the front of the hall. "Headmistress, I need to speak to all the fighters we have and the hall is going to need a large cleared space, so would you please move all the tables to the side?"

"Certainly, Harry." She looked around and then cast a Sonorus upon herself. "May I have your attention. Everyone, please assemble in the Great Hall. I am going to move all the tables to the side of the hall. Please get up and move to the center. As the fighters moved, the tables and benches moved to the sides, the benches neatly stacked on top. When everyone was present, she told Harry quietly "we're all yours" and took her place with the rest.

He looked out at all the expectant faces and suddenly felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. _Shake it off, Potter. When has the weight of the world __**not**__ been on your shoulders? Just trust in them as much as they trust you._ "Soon, I'm going to invite Riddle for tea. Before that, we need to set the table. Yesterday, Hermione, the headmistress and I took Snape to the head's office to get some answers and the portrait of Dumbledore told us that Snape had memories we needed to see. So we got his memories, under a binding oath from him. What we found was that there was a final bit of 'V''s soul that needs to be destroyed to make him mortal. That piece of his soul is in me, behind my scar."

The hall dissolved into chaos, as everyone cried out in fear and pain all at the same time. Harry let it go for a moment, then set off a cannon blast charm.

"OK. I don't like it either, but keep still now. The only way he knows to destroy this last fragment is for me to let him kill me. QUIET! I survived the Killing Curse once; hopefully, lightning will strike twice. But we can't depend on that. We have to be sure this war ends, now, today. I am going to teach all of you a curse, Sectumsempra. Fittingly, it was invented by our late headmaster, Severus Snape. Now, I want all of you to form ranks, twelve across. You'll each get to do the curse three times, the last time silently."

As they organized, he waved his wand and a line of twelve dummies appeared. Another wave and another dummy materialized, just ahead of the rest. Seeing they were ready, he sighted in on the lead dummy. "This curse does not have any particular movement, just point your wand and cast, like this. SECTUMSEMPRA!" The lead dummy fell, sliced into two pieces. "OK, first row, now!" Each row cast three times, as Harry vanished and conjured dummies each time. To his proud amazement, everyone could cast the curse and also they could non-vocally.

"Excellent, everyone. Now Aurors, faculty, Order members, front and center. Can all of you cast the Killing Curse?" He had to silence the roar of outrage and fear that erupted at this question. "QUIET NOW! Riddle has to die or we lose the war. This is war and there are no Unforgivable Curses in war. Now, how many of you can cast it?" When all the adults nodded, he smiled. "Now that curse is the last resort. If he doesn't go down and starts blocking Sectumsempra, you have to cast the Killing Curse until he falls. Same thing for any DeathEater who doesn't go down. We're ending all this today! Now, everyone, sit, relax. We should have food and drink available, headmistress. I'm going up to invite Tom and company."

As the hall was set to rights and Minerva spoke to the elves, he went up to the Headmaster's office. Once there, he walked over to Snape, bared his left arm and firmly pressed his wand on the Dark Mark. When the mark turned impossibly darker, he lifted the wand in satisfaction then turned to Dumbledore's portrait. "So Albus, is there anything more that you've kept to yourself? Last chance, because when I leave, I've no expectation ever to be here again."

"Harry, I've nothing left to give you, save some speculations."

"So speculate, anything could be vital and you'll not leave me in the dark again."

"All I have for you is this thought. When Tom used your blood to recreate his body, the two of you became doubly bound to each other, by the piece of his soul in you and the sharing of your blood, I spent much of the time I still had researching this question and I'm sorry to say I could find nothing, you and he are in completely unknown, uncharted realms of magic. The most I have is the idea that when he casts the Killing Curse, it will remove that part of his soul in you and leave you alive and with your soul intact."

"Albus, I dearly hope for all our sake that this happens. I married Hermione yesterday and hopefully she now carries our child, to keep our houses alive. I now have to get back to the hall. Good bye, Albus."

"Farewell to you and Hermione, Harry. I hope you see her today."

**-HO-**

Meanwhile, in Adelaide, Australia, Hermione had been fortunate to find her parents at home and about to make dinner. Due to the eight and a half hour time difference, it was 5:45 pm when she arrived and removed her memory charms. After some initial anger, her parents, Helen Puckle Wilkins Granger and Richard Petruchio Granger admitted that she had acted out of concern and love and even chuckled at her choosing to give their 'alter egos' Helen's maiden name. They grew concerned, then fearful as she explained to them that she was married, why she was married and why she was with them now.

"But Hermione, explain again why Harry and you wanted to get married and why now?"

"Mum, dad, Harry and I spent about ten months hunting down 'V''s soul anchors and we thought we had destroyed them all and that Riddle could be killed by anyone. But then we learned that there was a final part of his soul in Harry and the only way it could be destroyed was to let himself be hit by Riddle's Killing Curse. We were devastated and later, I heard Harry talking out loud to his parents and to Sirius Black, his godfather, promising that he would end 'V', even though he'd be killed. His only regret was that the Houses of Potter and Black would die out with him.

"You both know how long I've been in love with Harry, I think from the time we first met, but certainly ever since I was thirteen, in my second year. I offered to bear his child and keep his houses alive, but he wouldn't agree, not if that was my only reason, so I told how I was in love with him and for how long. I was stunned when he laughed and told me he'd been in love with me since he was fourteen! We both had never found the proper time to tell each other how we felt, but we did in time, thankfully. We got ready, and got married about an hour later. We both took potions that Madam Pomfrey the school healer gave us to ensure we'd conceive, then we worked very hard to make a baby, until a few minutes before I got here."

Her parents took more than a few minutes to absorb this information. Finally, they smiled and hugged Hermione tightly.

Richard finally asked some of the questions that crowded his mind. "Janie, you know we're behind you completely and we'll help you rear your child and hope that Harry comes back to us, but what if he doesn't? Where will find the right medical help? What about money? We're doing well in our new practice, but not enough to comfortably rear a baby."

"Dad, mum, it's going to be all right, you'll see. First, I steered you to Adelaide on purpose; there is a magical community here, so that takes care of both problems. We'll be able to find a healer and likely a magical hospital too. There is sure to be a Gringotts branch here too. I'm going to send Kreacher with a note and have our vaults transferred from London to here." She then took a sheet of paper and wrote a note, then had Kreacher go to the nearest Gringotts branch.

She looked at her parents and continued. "It won't just be the three of us taking care of the baby. Even if ... if Harry can't ..." Here, she couldn't help but to stifle a sob, for which she was embraced by both her parents. After a time, she calmed enough to continue. "We have two house elves; Kreacher, whom you met and Dobby, who is staying with Harry. House elves love to serve their families, and they will clean, cook, repair and look after the baby when we can't."

Just then another, female, elf popped in and Hermione recognized Winky, who addressed her. "Mistress, Lord Harry bound me to help with his and your baby. He had me go to Gringotts and had you added to his vaults. He also sent a message; he misses you a lot, Dumbledore's portrait thinks he might survive the Killing Curse again, so keep your spirits high, he will see you soon."

The Grangers and Lady Potter-Black relaxed, the more so when Kreacher appeared with a set of vault keys and the news that the vaults would be moved in the next day. So three humans and two elves settled in to await news of the battle.

**-HO-**

Back at Hogwarts, Harry had Minerva summon the head house elf for the school. They had a screen of elves placed to warn them when the enemy approached. Questioning him, they also found that the elves could transport trolls and even giants single-handedly and so they had orders to pop any and all of those to a point 320 kilometers off the west coast of Scotland. Then, finding they could also detect and nullify the Imperius Curse, he ordered them to take any witch or wizard under that curse into the hall and free them.

Now, marshaling the fighters at the entrance to the castle, he took the place where he intended to confront Riddle and then placed the others into their positions for the battle, with those who would cast the Killing Curse in the front, behind him and the others up on the stairs. Those stairs were high enough that everyone had a clear field of fire. "Everyone remember where your position is and be ready for when they get here. Now let's get what rest we can before the main event." And they returned to the Great Hall to wait.

**-HO-**

After all the preparations were made, it was close to noon so most of those still inside the castle gathered in the hall for lunch. Very few doubted that the enemy would attack at night; that seemed to be his standard operating procedure. Also they knew without having to discuss it that there would very likely be Dementors in the attacking forces, so all those who could cast a Patronus resolved that they would do that as soon as the monsters could be felt. They knew that Harry was resolved to keep this confrontation to just human wizards and witches versus Voldemort and those who had voluntarily accepted the Dark Mark.

As the afternoon wore on, Harry felt the need to get up in the sky as flying was always his refuge.

For two hours or more, he meditated upon his life; the events that had brought him to this point, the people he had befriended and opposed, and those for whom he felt love, particularly one bushy-haired woman and the child hopefully inhabiting her womb. Eventually, he noted the sun was on the decline and prepared to return, and even though he'd kept an eye out for their foes even while meditating, he made one more intense scan of this panorama before descending.

Returning to the Great Hall, he presented Ginny's broom to her with thanks, announced that thus far there was no hint of the opposition. Tucking into an enormous meal, with the thought that this meal might truly be his last, he found that the elves seemed to think so too and had provided for him only his most favorite foods. Finishing, he took the time to go around the hall to personally thank those who were standing with him, giving hugs and kisses on the cheek, especially to his wedding party, the Weasleys, Lupin, the last connection to the Marauders and family, Tonks, and to the faculty, most particularly Minerva. Then he conjured a comfortable, overstuffed chair like those in the Common Room, settled down, and tried something new by extending his magical senses out past the grounds in a circle roughly out to the far side of Hogsmeade.

**-HO-**

It was shortly past nine o'clock, barely after full dark had settled, when he felt the presence of Dementors, giants, and Tom and his DeathEaters. "They're here everyone, they just reached the far side of Hogsmeade. Get your game faces on and take your places," as he rushed out and took his position on the point. After a couple of minutes, he checked behind himself, seeing that all were in their positions. "I'll give the word for Patroni when they cross into the grounds; by then you should feel them too and we'll chase them back to Azkaban!"

About fifteen minutes later the Dementors reached and crossed the gates. With a "Now!", fifty Patroni soared into the air and into the oncoming cloud. As the silver avatars collided with the horrors a keening sound attested to their discomfiture and several terrible-sounding screams made them wonder if some of the azure defenders might have actually _killed_ some of the monsters. In any case, all sense of the Dementors vanished and they canceled the Patroni. As so many had sent their protectors out, no one felt any strain on their magic.

It took another fifteen-odd minutes before they could see the shadowy forms of their antagonists in the dark. They heard shouts of astonishment and fear rise as the trolls and giants vanished and then cries of anger when their auxiliaries placed in the front as shock troops also disappeared. They heard the scream of "POTTER!" from the evilest of wizards and soon the foe were in plain view, with Tom Riddle in all his serpentine glory standing as Harry was, ten paces or so in front of the DeathEaters, ranked in a semi-circle behind him.

"Well, Potter," hissed the self-styled Death Fleer, "are you really so deluded as to think your pitiful collection of Mudbloods, half-bloods and blood-traitors can stand up to my Death Eaters?"

"I don't think it matters. We both know that the ones with us are only a sideshow and we're the main event. Neither can live while the other survives**.** There's the end of the prophecy, you half-blood by-blow. You and me. Winner takes all. So, 

_Hit me with your best shot  
Why don't you hit me with your best shot  
Hit me with your best shot  
Fire away_

The sheer gall and effrontery of Harry's challenge was breathtaking to all others present, and the disgust and scorn with which it was given froze Voldemort for the time it took Harry to complete his defiance.

With a roar of outraged anger, Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry and screamed, DIE, HARRY POTTER. _AVADA KEDAVRA!_ Harry bonelessly hit the ground.

**-HO-**

Harry awoke in a bright white glare, which steadily dimmed until he could recognize his surroundings, a deserted Kings Cross Station. Noting his nudity, he wished to be robed and found a pure white robe next to him. Picking it up, he slipped it over his head, then heard a muffled, disturbing cry. Looking around, he saw there were now benches in the heretofore empty space and that under one near him was a hideous homunculus from which the cries he heard were coming.

Looking at it, he muttered, "I know what this is and I have a good idea where I am. The question is how can I get back and will I get back in time to save my side from killing?"

Then he heard the last voice he wished to hear. "You can't help that. Harry, you brave boy, you brave, brave man. Come, let us walk."

"Not on your life Dumbledore! Your hoarding of your precious secrets from me has led to the deaths of Cedric Diggory, Sirius Black, Mad-Eye Moody, Rufus Scrimgeour and who knows how many witches, wizards and Muggles in the last year. I don't want to hear any of your empty platitudes! If you know how I can return to the world and how much time I've lost, then tell me, otherwise GO AWAY!"

The shocked wizard faded away. Then Harry heard the last voice he expected and the one he'd most wanted to hear. "Harry, you've done so well, and we are so proud. You can go back whenever you want and without any time having passed, so we four may have a chat for as long as you want."

Whirling about, he saw his mother, father and godfather standing there, looks of pride and love on their faces and in their eyes. Sobbing, he virtually sprang into their arms and continued to cry at the center of a fierce, four-way hug. Eventually, he got control of himself and found himself on a bench with his parents to either side, arms around his shoulders and Sirius sitting on a conjured chair in front of him.

His father spoke first. "Son, we have seen your entire life. We mourned at the abuse you took from my sister-in-law and her family, but we're proud and humbled that you emerged strong, tough and so caring."

"We saw your struggles in Hogwarts and blessed the Fates that you rose to every situation. We approved of the friends you've made and most importantly, Hermione. She is your perfect counterpart and you two share a connection that is rare." Lily's voice and expression carried so much love and satisfaction that Harry redoubled his embrace, wordlessly telling her how much she had moved him.

Then Sirius chimed in. "I told James and Lily how impressed I was by you and Hermione, how I felt that you would never be apart, and found I was preaching to the choir. Forgive me that I left you so soon, that I wasn't there for you like I should have been. I was too careless with Bellatrix. I feel as if I've been a failure as a godfather, I always deserted you when you needed me and I'm sorry."

Harry leapt from the bench and enveloped Sirius in a crushing hug. "Padfoot, I treasured every single moment we had together, as did Hermione and my other friends. I wouldn't give up what we had for any might-have-beens. Hermione's and my memories of you will always be green. So you've all been watching me, watching Hermione... but... did you turn a blind eye our wedding night and morning?"

The three roared with laughter as much for the all over crimson blush Harry now sported, as for his words. "Harry love" his mother said, carefully keeping the mirth she felt out of her voice, "your father and I and Sirius know well enough what a couple in love, and just wed at that, will be doing their wedding night. No, we didn't watch and never will watch you and Hermione do something adult, never."

Harry found himself again in a four-way hug. When they disengaged, his father cleared his throat. "Son, the time has come for you to depart. Know though, that we will be waiting patiently for that reunion when it comes and to meet our Hermione. To return, simply picture the scene when he hit you with the Curse and you'll find yourself back again. Finish the task, son and don't be eager to come back. Reestablish our houses and make them strong, seeing your grand and great- grandchildren before returning to us. Be happy."

"Vanquish him for good, my Harry and return to your love, be fruitful in all you do." Lily told him, eyes filled with unshed tears.

"Pup, send him to Hell and then live, enjoy your life, love and prosper" his godfather instructed, pride shining forth from him, like a brilliant light.

"Mum, Dad, Sirius, until we meet again" with that, Harry closed his eyes, concentrated and faded from view.

**-HO-**

Harry felt a heaviness that he realized he'd not felt when with his family and knew that gravity had taken hold once more. _I'm back!_ he thought as he opened his eyes to see Voldemort completing a twirl to face his followers, arms akimbo and they started to shout "Master. Master."

The celebration shockingly ended with Harry's roar of SECTUMSEMPRA! Still half lying on the ground, the curse hit Voldemort's neck, just below the Atlas and Axis vertebraes, very efficiently shearing his brain-pan from his face. By the time Harry reached his feet. Voldemort's brain was striking the ground and his body was following. What was shocking though were the wails of utter agony from the DeathEaters seeing them slowly collapse to their knees then fall on their faces, unmoving, and it tore Harry's soul into pieces. While the horror overwhelmed him, a small, detached analytical part of his mind concluded that Voldemort and his marked followers had been connected through the Dark Mark and without him, they died. He'd not been effected by Voldemort's death, felt relief in fact, but he felt his hands dripping with DeathEater blood. His rapidly fading rational mind reminded him that those now lying dead had killed as many, if not more innocents than their master but his emotions found no solace.

_I did the needful, but at what cost? My hands, my soul are stained now with blood how can I face her? How could she bear to touch me, kiss me, make love to me or bear children by me when she learns? The Dursleys were right in the end I'm just a freak whom no one will love or want, destined to be alone._

Harry sank to his knees hands covering his face and was racked by sobs, bringing to a sudden halt the stampede of defenders who had been about to mob him in celebration. They stared at him, uncertain as to what to do or say to him. Then a pop was heard and Kreacher appeared by his master's side. "Master has won, but master's soul, spirit is hurt. Kreacher takes him now to to to Mistress, Master needs his family. With another pop, elf and wizard were no more.

**-HO-**

Harry hardly registered arriving in the house in Adelaide, had no idea it was now 6:15 am and that his wife and in-laws had not slept at all; he just continued his uncontrollable sobs. He didn't hear Hermione's order to fetch calming draughts and dreamless sleep potions. He hardly heard her tell him to drink something, he just drained the flask handed to him. It seemed to Hermione, Helen and Richard that the wait was endless, but finally he seemed in control enough to talk.

"Harry love, what happened, why were you upset?" Harry looked at her and she was stunned to see the fear and shame in the emerald orbs she had so come to adore.

"H-he killed me. He killed me and I saw my mum and dad and godfather; they told me how proud they were and how happy we were married. I c-came back and he was celebrating and they were cheering him. I h-hit him with Sectumsempra and separated him from his brain. I-I just got on my feet when the DeathEaters collapsed and died. Oh H-H-Hermione I felt their blood on my hands and tainting my soul. How can you ever love me, have children by me, stand to be near me ever again?"

Hermione was wounded in her heart to see Harry in such anguish. She decided all she could do for now was to get him to bed and asleep.

"Come Harry love, come to our bed. I know you won't think so now, but I'll never leave you, I will be by your side forever." She led him to the bed, vanished his clothing and fed him the dreamless sleep potion. As it took hold, she pulled the sheet down and covered him. Going back to her parents, she handed each of them a flask, telling them to go to bed and drink it. Then she returned to their bedroom, stripped, got in bed and drank. She stayed awake just long enough to spoon tightly against her husband, and her last thought was _I'll be with you love, til the end of time._

**A/N: First, a big shout out to my Beta, texan-muggle. Betas keep me on the straight and narrow, bless them all. Any goofs are on my dime. In this case, he's taking a break, so I decided to update anyway. When he's back, he'll find the goofs I didn't.**

**I hope my efforts meet with your approval. I'm trying not just to honor broomstick by accepting her challenge, but to write it also in as close to her writing style as my own limitations as a writer allow. So, if you noticed the run on sentences and paragraphs, they're part of the tribute!**

**If the house elves seem awfully powerful to you, I'd argue that their powerfulness is totally in canon. In fact, I think that JKR realized just how powerful she made them, which is why Kreacher and Dobby didn't play the rôles in DH they could have, the rôle that Hermione really should have urged them to do. Granted that Dobby saved them in Malfoy Manor, but they should have had Kreacher cook for them, and Ron's desertion would not have occurred. They could have sent Kreacher to the Lestrange vault in Gringotts to get the cup, they could have sent Dobby to Hogwarts to get the diadem, and the Sword of Gryffindor. Obviously, JKR had to make Harry and Hermione really struggle to find and destroy the Horcruxes, so she made them 'forget' house elves and their potential.**

**Harry's defiance is directly from the song made famous by Pat Benatar, **_**Hit me with your best shot. **_**I don't do song**__**fics**_**, per se**_**,**__**but this lyric was just too appropriate not to use. **

**Harry and Hermione's banter is of course from the classic movie, C**_**asablanca. T**_**he line about the night we shook hands is from Ira Levin's novel, **_**This Perfect Day**_**, in an analogous situation.**

**The story recommendation for this chapter is **_**How HP and the DH should have Ended, **_**by Sprinter 1988 (7582445). The lead up to the final showdown with Voldemort is informed very much by this story, from a favorite writer of mine.**

**One final thing. There is a poll up on my profile. Your input is needed to decide a character's birthday. That will be used in the rest of my stories. Please help.**

**Once more, thanks to all of you who read my efforts. Visitors, hits, reviews, follows, favorites, C2s are my only payment. Believe me, they make me feel rich!**

**The Ghostly Minion, in mourning**

**Posted: 06/27/2015  
****Words: 6,****251**


	4. After 2 Wedding, Engagements Wizengamot

**A/N: This story is in response to Chapter five (**_**A challenge**_**), in the late broomstick flyer's collection, **_**All sorts**_**. **

**As always, it is an honor to create my own world in the reality of Harry Potter. What you recognize is JKR's, the rest is mine (and broomstick flyer's).**

Harry slowly became conscious. The first thing he felt was his naked wife spooned tightly against his back. Second, he felt his morning problem and a deep desire to share that with his amazing wife. Finally, he remembered the day before and realized he now felt at peace; pondering this, he concluded he had been in shock and on adrenalin overload. So carefully he turned in the bed, he took her in his arms and kissed her and felt amused when she opened her eyes. _Guess that means I'm really her Prince Charming!_

"Good morning love. I'm glad to find you in our bed, in my arms." Harry found his wand and cast Tempus. "Wow, 5:30 am on May fourth! Strong Dreamless Sleeping potions?"

Hermione nodded and Harry continued. "I don't suppose we can make love now; we'd attract your parents and I need to make a better second impression than I made a first."

"Harry, how are you feeling?" Harry could see the anxiety and borderline fear in her wonderfully expressive eyes.

"Quite well, Mrs. Potter-Black" he smiled, seeing her light up at the reminder of her married name, "I might not have dreamed, but my subconscious must have worked overtime because when I woke I realized that my breakdown was just the reaction to the battle; I wasn't thinking straight, it was too much, so soon and I was in fight or flight mode and not in control. I now know the DeathEaters made their own bed and had to lie in it. Speaking of lying in bed, when will your parents wake? Can I give you a promise for tonight?"

Hermione needed no prompting. She entwined her arms about Harry's neck and her lips firmly on his, tongues militantly in the other's mouth, their love, passion and oneness flowing amongst them. They spent a timeless interval as one being.

**-HO-**

After they rose and shared a shower, they went into the eat-in kitchen to find the Grangers and a big breakfast just reaching the table.

"Mum, dad, I want to formally introduce you to my husband and your son-in-law, Harry James Potter, Lord Potter-Black." Both Richard and Helen came around the table and gave Harry long, tight hugs that left no doubt as to where Hermione learned how to hug.

After the hugs ended, Harry looked at them with gratitude and love suffusing his eyes. "Thank you for your welcome; I feared I'd failed in giving you a good first impression as Hermione's husband and hopefully the father of your grandchildren, but I see now that you made allowances."

"Harry, first call me Richard or dad and my wife Helen or mum, we're all family after all. I'm not sure how much Hermione told you about us, but we met in the Royal Navy; I was in the SBS and Helen was in the SBS support services. We fell in love and after we were demobbed, we married, entered dental school and had Hermione. In the SBS, I was in on a number of missions that won't make the history books, at least not for a century, if then. I know about killing the enemy in hot blood and cold and your reactions a day and half ago fit the pattern to a T; honestly, had they not I would've worried for Hermione and her choice of husband. I'm proud to call you son. Later, we can talk about PTSD but not today or for a while yet."

They sat and had breakfast. Afterwards, Harry and Hermione filled her parents in on the events leading to her hiding them away in Adelaide and the events following, to the morning before last. It took a long time to tell even the bare bones of the tale. They stayed in the living room, breaking only for short but tasty meals fixed by their elves, who also listened to their saga. By the time the basics had been covered, it was just past midnight.

When they got to their room, they spent some time in foreplay that might otherwise have been termed taking a shower. By the time they reached the bed, they had barely the presence of mind to cast Silencing Charms before laying on the bed and uniting. Those charms were needed to blunt the murmurs, sighs, groans, yells and screams persisting over the succeeding two hours.

**-HO-**

Meanwhile, in Britain, there had been non-stop furor from the end of the non- Battle of Hogwarts to the present moment, a week later. As a result of Hogwarts having been under Voldemort's control, what was left of the Board of Governors declared the school term to be a loss, requiring all students to retake the year and allow those who were unable to attend due to blood status or other reasons to attend in September without prejudice.

Many students left for home and an extended summer; others, mainly from Slytherin, but a sprinkling from the other houses were buried, either by their families or by the Ministry. Harry and Hermione's wedding party felt a great need to be together and Headmistress (as confirmed by the Board) McGonagall modified the Heads' suite to accommodate the eight teens. Outside of those quarters, they were never seen apart and unlike almost all of the rest of the students, they attended classes getting a jump start on the next year.

On the morning of 9 May, they received a summons from the Wizengamot to appear Monday, 11 May at an investigative hearing on the ending of the war. They immediately sent owls to eight sets of parents/guardians. Inasmuch as that included senior members of the Ministry and the Wizengamot, including the new Chief Witch, none of the eight were particularly concerned. When they arrived at lunch time, they shared a meal with their children, then retired to the Staff Room, made available by the Headmistress to consult and plan. When they left after sharing dinner in the Great Hall with their charges the teens were reassured and spent the rest of the weekend in relaxation.

**-HO-**

At 10:00 am, 11 May, the Chief Witch, Augusta Longbottom called the Wizengamot to order. "Before addressing today's agenda, is there any new business which requires our attention?"

Neville Longbottom, resplendent in the finest dress robes bearing his family arms and the Lord's rings spoke up. "I, Neville Franklin Longbottom, Lord Longbottom by descent, wish to take my seat in the Wizengamot!"

At this there was a commotion, gaveled down by the Chief Witch. "Lord Dunhill, there has always been a standing rule that an heir may succeed the place of a permanently incapacitated Lord. Sadly, Frank Longbottom fits this definition and his son is eligible to take his place." Swiftly, Neville was granted the family seat.

"Is there any other new business?" Susan Bones stepped forward.

"I, Susan Amelia Bones, Lady Bones by descent, also with to take my seat in the Wizengamot!" This time, there was no dissent and she was granted her family seat.

Asking for more new business and receiving no response, she continued, "Very well. We now address a matter brought to us by the Minister for Magic. Minister, if you will."

Kingsley Shacklebolt rose. "I request that this body conduct an investigation of the events surrounding the end of the late war. I suggest that this investigation include the marriage of Harry Potter and the couple's current whereabouts."

"All in favor of the Minister's request, light your wands." About 3/4 of the Wizengamot lit their wands in favor. It escaped no one's notice that none of the families of the Potters' wedding party lit their wands, Lord Longbottom's and Lady Bones' dissent the most prominent. After some few minutes of organization, the chamber was set with Veritaserum, and a projecting Pensieve.

The chief witch called on the Minister to begin his presentation. "We have with us today all the players, as far as we can ascertain, who were involved with the wedding of our Lord Potter-Black with Hermione Granger..."

The spanner thrown into the Minister's works was pitched by the new Lord Longbottom. "How dare you" the best man roared "Harry and Hermione were married by Headmistress McGonagall, a licensed wedding bonder, moreover the Head of both their House. Had there been any hint of impropriety in their request she would never have consented to perform the service. They are therefore Lord Harry James Potter-Black and Lady Hermione Jane Granger Potter-Black. I, we," a glance showed him the agreement of the wedding party and the bonder, "strenuously protest and resent the Minister's sly insinuations casting doubt on the validity of their wedding and Lady Potter-Black's title. The Minister can apologize or not. I will submit my memories to this body as evidence and then leave." A growl from the others left the Wizengamot in no doubt as to the feelings from those closest to the couple.

Kingsley mentally cursed his stupidity, his mistake not only cost him the cooperation of those closest to this matter, but doubtless their friendship and by extension the friendship of both Lord and Lady, at least eleven of the people he truly liked and respected;, eating crow might not work but it was all he had left. "Lord Longbottom, Scion Greengrass, Scion MacMillan, Scion Lovegood, Scion Zabini, Lady Bones, Scion Corner, Miss Bell, Headmistress McGonagall, and the Noble Wizengamot. I retract and most humbly recant my previous words. I mistakenly attempted to bring an air of impartiality to my investigation and clearly have put my foot into it, to the hip. It shall never be repeated."

No one spoke to the Minister, following Neville's lead. Neville walked to the Pensieve, swore on his magic and life the memories he'd give were accurate and complete, then placed five memories into the bowl and activated the runes for projection playback.

The first memory saw Neville guarding the entrance to Gryffindor and Hermione's approach. _"I'm sorry Hermione, but..."_

_"Harry asked you to keep others out. I understand, but I have things to tell Harry. He doesn't know it, but he has things to say to me also. Please let me through, don't tell him. Please."_

_Neville took no more than an instant of thought and stepped away. She stepped to the portrait. "Please open, but silently." A tear fell from the Fat Lady's cheek; she nodded and the door opened without sound._

The next memory commenced as the portrait opened again and Harry and Hermione rushed out._ Harry turned and shouted, "Come with us, Nev! We've a wedding to perform, and you'll be best man!"_

The third memory played. _Harry entered the hall, he spotted Neville and the three others. He walked over to them, saying "Blaise, Ernie, Michael; if Neville didn't tell you, I am marrying Hermione as soon as things are set here. I hope you will be my groomsmen, Neville will be best man. Will you help me?" A chorus of 'yes' from the three left Harry beaming. "Great, I see the hall is being prepared." Taking two Galleons from his pocket, Harry transfigured them into wedding bands, a napkin into a velvet cushion and handed the rings and cushion to Neville._

The fourth memory was his of the wedding itself. _They were at the hall, Hermione along with five young women and Remus Lupin. Motioning to Neville and his groomsmen, Harry reached his fiancée, hugged her and settled a gentle, love-filled kiss upon her lips. "Love, the next time I kiss you, you will be Mrs. Hermione Jane Granger Potter-Black." He could go no further seeing the adoration glow in her eyes. Wrenching his gaze from her with an effort he looked at the others. "Thank you all for helping us. Fleur will place glamors on us so we look like a wedding."_

_Fleur then waved her wand and Harry looked clean- shaven and resplendent in dress robes of __e__merald green trimmed in Gryffindor __r__ed. "Now __alliez__ 'Arry to the front and await your bride—no peeking!"_

_Harry gladly obeyed. Professor McGonagall cast a Sonorus charm and called to the castle, "Your attention, all who are not on sentry duty please come and sit in the Great Hall now." Since the preparations had escaped nobody's notice, the table seats swiftly filled. _

_Neville's robes changed to gold trimmed with emerald, and he took Luna, now wearing Ravenclaw blue, to the altar and separated, taking his place on Harry's left. Looking back, he saw Daphne Greengrass in her house's shade of green robes on the arm of Michael Corner wearing Ravenclaw bronze with emerald trim. Then Blaise Zabini in Slytherin silver trimmed in emerald and Susan Bones in Hufflepuff blue. Finally Katie Bell in Gryffindor red took her place accompanied by Ernie MacMillan in Hufflepuff yellow and emerald. _

_Then, Hermione, on Lupin's arm. She wore a gown in bone, full length, shoulder-less and tight on top, flaring out modestly below the waist. There was no train, but a full veil. Upon her head a diadem of silver and emeralds, a necklace of emeralds at her throat and emeralds in her ears. Then Remus handed Harry her arm._

_Minerva recited the marriage ceremony and when she asked if Harry wished to say his own vows, he nodded, his eyes never leaving hers._

"_Hermione Jane Granger, since our first day at Hogwarts we've been a part of each other's lives. As a friend, best friend, supporter, guide, teacher, partner in trials and battles, you finally came to mean the world to me as a woman, my beloved. I will spend whatever time we have as your strength and companion, as you are my strength, my heart's companion, my soul's mate. This ring to me means all these things and those things that crowd my heart that I haven't the words to say." As he placed the ring on her finger, his magic escaped and an emerald- green aura surrounded them both and then faded into them._

_Hermione's smile shone like the sun. "Harry James Potter-Black, I fell in love the moment we met. That it took this long to share my feelings shows even know-it-alls aren't infallible! I have never known a more humble, kind, decent, giving and loving man and I shall never find even a pale copy in anyone else. I will never have another and all the time we may have shall be more precious than any gem, purer than any gold. Together we will be one and pass our name down to futures yet unimagined. My being is too full of my love and joy for expression. This ring shall speak those things to you, now and as long as our hearts beat." As she slipped the golden band onto his finger, her aura, pure gold permeated them, lingered and entered them._

_For a moment, none could speak then Minerva found her voice. "As a licensed marriage bonder, I declare this man and woman married, in the sight of magic and of the law. You may kiss your bride."_

_Harry gently lifted the veil from Hermione's face, cupped her cheek then embraced her waist. As her arms encircled his neck their lips met in a kiss that swiftly deepened. The kiss lasted just until the edge of that cusp between perfect and uncomfortable was reached._

_After a brief but filling luncheon, Neville raised his glass and gained the attention of the company. "I will be brief, Lord and Lady Potter-Black should be our focus after all. I will claim the distinction of having introduced Hermione to Harry through my toad Trevor, or should I say Yenta?" Laughter. "Anyway, it has been my great good fortune to watch and know them as we grew up and I'm proud to call them my best friends in the world. Now, let us drink to their joy and happiness. I give you Hermione and Harry Potter-Black, the bride and groom!"_

The final memory found Neville looking at early night, standing in his place on the Hogwarts' steps. _"They're here everyone, they just reached the far side of Hogsmeade. Get your game faces on and take your places," as Harry rushed out and took his position on the point. After a couple of minutes, he checked behind himself, seeing that all were in their positions. "I'll give the word for Patroni when they cross into the grounds; by then you should feel them too and we'll chase them back to Azkaban!"_

_About fifteen minutes later the Dementors reached and crossed the gates. With a "Now!", fifty Patroni soared into the air and into the oncoming cloud. As the silver avatars collided with the horrors a keening sound attested to their discomfiture and several terrible-sounding screams made them wonder if some one of the azure defenders might have actually killed some of the monsters. In any case, all sense of the Dementors had vanished and they canceled the Patroni. _

_It took another fifteen-odd minutes before they could see the shadowy forms of their antagonists in the dark. They heard shouts of astonishment and fear rise as the trolls and giants vanished and then cries of anger when their auxiliaries under the Imperius, placed in the front as shock troops also disappeared. They heard the scream of "POTTER!" from the evilest of wizards and soon the foe were in plain view, with Tom Riddle in all his serpentine 'glory' standing as Harry was, ten paces or so in front of the __DeathEaters__, ranked in a semi-circle behind him._

"_Well, Potter," hissed the self-styled 'Death Fleer' "are you really so deluded as to think your pitiful collection of Mudbloods, half-bloods and blood-traitors can stand up to my __D__eathEaters__?"_

"_I don't think it matters. We both know that the ones with us are only a sideshow and we're the main event. Neither can live while the other survives. There's the end of the prophecy, you half-blood by-blow. You and me. Winner takes all. So,_

_Hit me with your best shot  
Why don't you hit me with your best shot  
Hit me with your best shot  
Fire away_

_With a roar of outraged anger, Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry and screamed, DIE, HARRY POTTER. AVADA KEDAVRA! Harry bonelessly hit the ground._

_Voldemort completed a twirl to face his followers, arms akimbo and they started to shout "Master. Master."_

_The celebration shockingly ended with Harry's roar of SECTUMSEMPRA! Still half lying on the ground, the curse hit Voldemort's neck, just below the Atlas and Axis vertebrae, very efficiently shearing his brain-pan from his face. By the time Harry reached his feet. Voldemort's brain was striking the ground and his body was following. What was shocking though were the wails of utter agony from the __DeathEaters __seeing them slowly collapse to their knees then fall on their faces, unmoving. Harry sank to his knees hands covering his face and was racked by sobs. Then a pop was heard and Kreacher appeared by his master's side. "Master has won, but master's soul, spirit is hurt. Kreacher takes him now to Mistress, Master needs his family." With another pop, elf and wizard were no more._

There had been utter silence during the viewing of Neville's memories. He glanced at the other eight silently asking if they wanted to add to his testimony but received eight almost imperceptible shakes in return. He addressed the assembly, "I have a few thoughts before I leave. First, there was no doubt in our minds that Harry and Hermione love each other, love deeply and that they've been in love with the other for nearly seven years. Second, we know why it came out when it did, why they married when they did but that is their story and their choice as to whom they confide in; we will never betray the confidence with which they've honored us. Third, wherever Harry is Hermione is too and when they wish to contact anyone they will as they see fit. Finally, they are still on a honeymoon after all and even were we to know how to contact them we would not." Neville then took Daphne's hand and strode out of the courtroom, feeling the three other couples and McGonagall following. As they reached to doors they heard the chief witch declare that the Wizengamot was adjourned.

**-HO-**

During their first two weeks as married, Harry and Hermione explored Adelaide, sometimes with Richard and Helen, often by themselves. They found both the magical and non-magical sides of the city fascinating. When they were in the magical parts, a simple glamour over Harry's rapidly fading scar and a very weak Notice-Me-Not were all that was needed to avoid commotion. They were amused that though Harry was celebrated here as, they assumed, he was in the entire magical world, the Australian wizards and witches had so little expectation of ever meeting him that their assumptions did almost all the work hiding him for them. Of course their nights were spent energetically observing their honeymoon.

About three weeks after his arrival, Harry, Hermione, Richard and Helen went to St. Joseph's Church in the city and asked to speak to the rector, Father Jacob Twitchell. Once seated in his office, Harry explained their situation.

"Father, we are all originally from England and not quite a year ago, Richard and Helen moved their dental practice here. Hermione and I were finishing our term in a very exclusive school in Scotland. At the start of this month I learned that I had inherited a noble title from my godfather; in addition to being Lord Potter from my late parents I was also Lord Black so I'm Lord Potter-Black. The problem arose that I only had one week to marry in order to retain my godfather's rather considerable inheritance. Hermione and I have been in love since we've been 11 and there was no doubt in anyone's mind we'd eventually marry; still this was an emergency, so with Richard and Helen's consent, we married at Gretna Green and came to Adelaide at the end of the term. Here are our marriage documents and we wish to remarry or renew our vows or however you choose to name the ceremony here for them and their friends. I know this sounds like a romance novel or a hokey movie plot but can you, will you help us?"

Father Twitchell looked a trifle agape at the four but had long ago learned the value of keeping silence and thinking things through. After a few moments, he smiled having perused their papers. "My son, my daughter, your papers are in order. I should be happy perform a service of renewal of wedding vows. The only question is in the timing. You'll need at least a month and a half to make preparations and every Saturday in summer is filled. But, if you'll settle for a Friday, 3 July, we could perform the service at any time after noon."

The quartet considered this in low voices for several minutes. "Father, the third at noon sounds perfect," Hermione told him. "By having it at Noon, we can have a short reception and have everything cleaned up for Saturday's ceremony." That having been agreed, they returned home to begin planning.

With both Hermione and Helen making the plans and Harry and Richard helping, everything was set by the end of May and invitations went out on 1 June. They soon got replies by the wedding party who asked to come three weeks before. Assured by the elves that the house could accommodate any number, they agreed. Bill and Fleur, Remus and Tonks replied and would be there three days before.

When their friends arrived, it was to the joyful news that the Potter-Blacks were expecting twins, sex unknown as they wanted to be surprised. In their turn, they were flummoxed to learn that their party were now four engaged couples. Since the events of May, Neville and Daphne, Michael and Luna, Blaise and Susan and Ernie and Katie had fallen in love and were determined to marry and had the blessing of their parents and guardians.

Having first-hand experience of the madhouse Wizarding Britain still was after Voldemort's end, the idea of living somewhere else strongly interested the eight and their families. They spent their time exploring Australia, particularly Adelaide, and the four couples separately decided to settle near the Potter-Blacks. To say Hermione and Harry were overjoyed was to understate. Houses were found, bought and furnished. By the time the rest of Harry and Hermione's personal guests arrived the wedding party couples had met with Father Twitchell and wedding dates for the first and third Saturdays of September and October were set.

The renewal of vows was a brilliant success. Everyone there including the Grangers' friends found the service hugely moving. Afterwards, they went to a hall owned by one of Helen's friends for the reception. Their friends wasted no time in booking the same hall for the September and October weddings. Before everyone left, Hermione and Harry arranged with Augusta to speak before the Wizengamot and the Minister at the 3 August meeting. The couple spent the next month arranging for tutors and touring the large cities in Australia.

At 10:00 am, 3 August, the Chief Witch called the Wizengamot to order and called for new business, whereupon Lord and Lady Potter-Black appeared in their finest dress robes. Once she gaveled down the assembly, she invited them to speak.

Harry began "Chief Witch, Minister, noble members of the Wizengamot. As you can clearly see, my wife and I are quite well and, I can assure you very happy indeed. As my friend Lord Longbottom informed you we married because we are and were deeply in love with one another and have been since we were 11. This is all the information you need to know and that we'll tell you."

"My Harry and I, particularly my Harry," Hermione continued, "have given to this world everything you could legitimately ask and considerably more. You lost the peace James and Lily Potter's sacrifice gave you by allowing the Death Eaters to escape justice on the flimsiest of excuses while innocent people like Sirius Black were thrown into Azkaban without trial."

"When Voldemort returned, most of you vilified me for warning you," Harry noted with scorn "then when his presence could no longer be denied, some of you indulged in frantic, useless measures, just to be seen doing something or shuffling off the burden of your rescue on a fifteen-year- old and his friends, hardly any older or more prepared than I".

"Did you fight when the Ministry fell to Voldemort?" pressed Hermione. "There was never a time when you didn't outnumber the DeathEaters dozens to one, but you were too cowardly to make a stand or a difference."

"And now, when against all odds, I and mine finished Voldemort you want to know everything? I tell you now that you have all you'll likely ever get from us!" Harry's anger-loosened magic swirled around the chamber until an effort of will brought calm. "If ever you hope to see us again, if ever you hope for us to play a part in this backwater, or educate our children here, you had best win the peace this time."

"What we mean," Hermione's passion was scarcely less than her Lord's, "is that you must pass the laws against discrimination by ancestry. The only measure for success must be one's magical strength, knowledge, will and drive to make a difference. These laws must be enacted and then enforced with resolution so that all know the old ways of doing things is over."

"My lady and I are delighted to inform you that we are expecting twins! They will be born early in the next year so you are now on the clock. You have eleven years to show you are not making a mockery of our sacrifices.

"If you fail, rest assured we'll never come back and as we forge ahead into a better future, you will stall, decay and die as a society. I hereby give the proxies to the seats of Potter and Black to House Longbottom and House Bones to be held jointly—yes, yes, this is allowed, we do homework after all. And now, farewell Britain." Their elves silently whisked them away.

Back home, Harry read a number of books Richard, Helen and Hermione had bought for him. Three weeks or so later, Harry went to a nondescript room in the city's downtown. In one of the suites he helped himself to a large mug of coffee, entered a room with a dozen rough-looking men and women all with haunted eyes. Some were smoking and Harry cast an anti-smoke charm around himself. At the gesture from a man slightly less haggard and having considerably less- haunted eyes Harry rose. "My name is Harry James Potter-Black. I've been through Hell all of my life. My wife and our unborn twins light a path out but I need help to walk out of the jungle."

**A/N: First, a big shout out to my Beta, texan-muggle. Betas keep me on the straight and narrow, bless them all. Any goofs are on my dime. **

**I hope my efforts meet with your approval. I'm trying not just to honor broomstick by accepting her challenge, but to write it also in as close to her writing style as my own limitations as a writer allow. So, if you noticed the run on sentences and paragraphs, they're part of the tribute!**

**I made a few edits to Neville's memories that should have been in the original drafts. One day I might correct them and repost.**

**The story recommendation for this chapter is **_**Hermione's Greatest Gift **_**By** **Professor Evans id: 5919950 Yet another response to the challenge.**

**One final thing. There is a poll up on my profile. Your input is needed to decide a character's birthday. That will be used in the rest of my stories. Please help.**

**Once more, thanks to all of you who read my efforts. Visitors, hits, reviews, follows, favorites, C2s are my only payment. Believe me, they make me feel rich!**

**The Ghostly Minion, in mourning for the flyer.**

**Posted: 08/10/2015**

**Reposted 08/20/2015****  
****Words: 5,0****92**


	5. Aftermath 3: Lives well lived

**A/N: This story is in response to Chapter five (**_**A challenge**_**), in the late broomstick flyer's collection, **_**All sorts**_**. **

**As always, it is an honor to create my own world in the reality of Harry Potter. What you recognize is JKR's, the rest is mine (and broomstick flyer's).**

The four weddings went off wonderfully that fall. Harry found himself serving as best man four times; Hermione though, was matron of honour only twice. Daphne wanted her friend Tracey Davis as her maid of honour with Alicia Spinnet doing the same for Katie Bell, so Hermione had to settle for being a bridesmaid. Both Tracey and Alicia decided to join the expat community and settled nearby when they too married a few years later.

Within a few years, all the couples added babies to their families. Hermione and Harry led the way, of course, with Charlus Richard Potter, Scion Potter (his parents thought the name James was too overused) and his brother, Canopus ('Opie') Centaurus Black, Scion Black entering the world on Groundhog DSay, 1999. Their fear of losing their privacy, due to the magical world's automatic registration of magical births was groundless. They spent the last month of each pregnancy at the Delacour estate in France. The births were duly noted there, which meant school notifications were sent there, to everyone's great amusement. As the others had estates in Britain, their children were born there, assuring their privacy.

Harry assiduously read and studied _Hogwarts: A History_ with Hermione and had it down pat when they arrived in France for the births. Hermione loved that he'd read it to her every day, along with other books that caught her fancy. Helen had had a rough time giving birth to Hermione; the complications had robbed them of any siblings for Hermione. They were amazed and thankful that, being a witch, she delivered with practically no discomfort. Helen and Richard noted wryly that this made certain that they would have plenty of grandchildren to spoil and over the next ten years, six more, two girls and four boys rounded out the family.

**-HO-**

Harry and Hermione turned out to be excellent parents, ably seconded by the Grangers and a growing team of house elves. It turned out that with the demise of the DeathEater families, many elves, out of gratitude, had bonded themselves to them without their knowledge. Knowing what they did about elves, they simply grinned and bore it.

Theirs was a happy family, with only the friction normal for a large family. The children were reared to be loving and to look out for and care for one another, respecting others and to only judge others by the content of their characters, as shown in their deeds. The expat families integrated readily into Adelaide's magical and non-magical communities, making a large circle of friends and acquaintances. The Australian Ministry had more progressive ideas than those in Britain and offered comprehensive education for both worlds. Since there were several magical Potter families there already, the Potter-Blacks were accepted as distant relations without further comment.

**-HO-**

The expats kept a careful eye on the doings in Britain and were dissatisfied, on the whole. That society had not reformed to any particular extent; there was too much bigotry still, including, sadly, Hogwarts. Most sadly to the Potters were their several sojourns into Britain and particularly Hogwarts, during which they saw many examples of bigotry and Pureblood elitism, at times approaching the actions of Voldemort's DeathEaters in severity. They were aided by their elves, who could effectively disillusion them. Nothing had really been done at Hogwarts to deal with the worst aspects of the house system and they concluded they could not expose their children to the treatment they had had to endure. Several carefully worded announcements informed the old country that the expats would educate their families elsewhere. As it happened, several expats found themselves teaching in the schools their children and extended families attended.

**-HO-**

Hermione adored motherhood, but was too intellectually curious to not continue learning. She soon had advanced masteries in Runes, Arithmancy and Warding and had a rather lucrative sideline in spell-crafting and ward construction, augmented by authoring a series of textbooks on those subjects. They became the standard books in the magical world through a number of editions. Her studies would serve her well when the major project that would fill their lives presented itself.

Harry took to his now normal life with gusto. Along with being a wonderful father and godfather, he continued to attend his PTSD meetings, eventually working out his inner demons and helping others to do so as well. As a form of therapy, he kept a journal which morphed into something grander.

He also used some of the Potter-Black wealth to fund a number of orphanages, in both worlds. Through the business help of Gringotts, several exceedingly well run non-profit

corporations handled the operations end and Harry was content in developing, refining and imparting an overall vision.

He became fascinated with wine, buying several vineyards in Australia and New Zealand, then jumping into viticulture with both feet. By 2012, he became concerned about trends in the weather that affected the quality of vintages. By then, he had enough contacts in the wine industry to find that this affected vineyards all over Oceania, and could pinpoint when the problems had started. Harry delved into climate change and the ramifications of global warming. Spearheaded by Hermione, Daphne, Neville and others in the Australian magical community, they sought a magical way to combat the trend.

**-HO-**

In 2017, a literary sensation commenced with the worldwide publication of _Scarhead: My Story,_ published in both worlds and quickly translated into many other languages. The magical world knew it was Harry Potter's autobiography, while the rest of humanity saw a brilliant work of fiction. By the time the last volume came out in 2027, the books and the inevitable cinema series had earned them over five billion galleons.

Also in 2017, the group's researches had resulted in plans for a 'decarbonization' plant, that would convert carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas, into blocks of magically inert carbon, which could be used for a variety of purposes. A pilot pant was constructed and exceeded their expectations by removing sixty-five thousand kilotons of carbon in a day. It was so efficient that they had to shut it down after a week, for lack of means to handle the carbon output. At that point, Harry enlisted the aid of the Australian department of magic and the mundane government. Through the Department of Magic, Harry was able to gain access to the ICW and their research and development section, which refined and improved upon the initial design. More research showed that the blocks produced made a superb building material and was soon being marketed to both worlds for that purpose. It fell to Harry to speak to the ICW and convince them of the need to follow up on the construction of more plants. For once, his fame turned out to be a plus and his standing in the magical world allowed him to carry the day. By 2030,150 plants were scattered about the world and the warming trend had been checked and even a start of reversal could be seen.

**-HO-**

All of this was only part of Hermione and Harry's lives. Their children grew up to be intelligent, strongly-magical persons, with varied interest, hobbies and passions. They followed the Potter tradition of marrying for love and losing their hearts to strong, intelligent witches and wizards. Charlus lost his heart early to Aurora Alice Longbottom, Neville and Daphne's oldest daughter. Other of the children married mainly witches and wizards who were newbloods (a better term than the muggleborn label Hermione had endured).

Most ironic was the romance and marriage of Sarah Marie Potter and Louis Weasley, the son of Bill and Fleur Weasley. Since the Potters came to spend a considerable amount of time at the Delacour estate and the Weasleys often were guests in Australia, the two practically grew up together and their romance was approved by both sets of parents and the Granger grandparents. Due to the estrangement from the British Weasleys, in part to ensure the Potter's privacy, the engagement came as a huge surprise to them, but was the cause of a rapprochement. Harry and Hermione planned the wedding, at the Delacour estate, and between them and Louis' parents managed to nullify all of Molly's attempts to take charge. The wedding was a splendid success, and the Potters and the British Weasleys met and made a start at mending fences, particularly with Ron. When Louis and Sarah had their first child, a year and a half later, Potter and Granger genes finally enriched the Weasley gene pool, albeit in an unforeseen manner.

**-HO-**

By the mid 2040s, the magical world concluded that the non-magical world would soon have proof positive of the existence of their world. The only questions were when and how. To manage those questions for the optimum benefit of both worlds, the ICW enlisted the knowledge and talents of the 'Ceramic Expats', as Harry's biologic and self-made extended family were referred to fondly by the top ICW echelons. For the man whose people saving thing was legend and his family, this was the acme of his and their lives' purpose.

In 2059, the curtain was lifted as non-magical governments around the world announced together to their citizens that their world was larger and richer than they'd believed. Each country was aided by their native magicals.

Unsurprisingly, the expats took the lead, led in turn by Harry who addressed the UN, the governments of each English speaking nation, and all the main news and information outlets. Harry's fame as an author did wonders to bring people to acknowledge the reality of magic and magic wielders.

Inevitably, there was a measure of opposition and hostility by some in both the old worlds to the new reality. It took much hard work on everyone's part, spearheaded by Harry, Hermione and the extended family, but in a couple of decades the gains from the melding of science, technology and magic were so evident that opposition couldn't even be called token. After fifty years, a united humanity were ready to take rational, progressive steps, both on and off the Earth.

**-HO-**

A few days after his 150th birthday, Harry Potter and Hermione Potter were found embraced in their bed, having passed away. The world as one mourned soberly, almost reverently. They were buried next to James and Lily, in Godric's Hollow. The simple inscription on the marker told the tale.

_Harry Potter Hermione Potter_

_We fought the good fight_

_We ran the race_

_We kept the faith_

**FINITE INCANTATEM**

**A/N: First, a big shout out to my Beta, texan-muggle. Betas keep me on the straight and narrow, bless them all. Any goofs are on my dime. **

**I hope my efforts meet with your approval. I'm trying not just to honor broomstick by accepting her challenge, but to write it also in as close to her writing style as my own limitations as a writer allow. So, if you noticed the run on sentences and paragraphs, they're part of the tribute!**

**I've just reread a whole lot of broomstick's writings. One thing I noted is a tendency for narrative endings, epilogues that even encompassed a full chapter. So, I determined to do thusly.**

**I also had fun reversing the 'threatening the husband with emasculation' trope that is such a tired staple of fan fiction. I thought the side entrance for a version of the OBHWF bromide a hoot too.**

**The epitaph is slightly modified from 2 Timothy 4:7**

**The story recommendation for this chapter is **_**Marry me Harry**_**, id 967213. I think this is my al****l-**** time favorite broomstick story.**

**There is a poll up on my profile. Your input is needed to decide a character's birthday. That will be used in the rest of my stories. Please help.**

**Once more, thanks to all of you who read my efforts. Visitors, hits, reviews, follows, favorites, C2s are my only payment. Believe me, they make me feel rich!**

**The Ghostly Minion, in mourning for the flyer.**

**Posted: ****11****/****0****2****/2015  
****Words: ****2,0****5****4**


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